i39 will host around 20 TF2 teams this weekend. While some of Europe's best are conspicuously absent, there are enough quality sides here to make for a thrilling weekend. Patrick "JimmyBreeze" Harvey takes a look at who they are and where they're likely to finish.
It's business time. There's £1,500 up for grabs and four teams who could realistically win the tournament. What will separate the men from the boys? Full rosters? LAN experience? Sub demomen who haven't played demoman in a year? I can't wait to find out.
| 1st | £800 |
|---|---|
| 2nd | £400 |
| 3rd | £200 |
| 4th | £100 |
Team Dignitas
Arto "Agron" Gröndahl
Ruben "ryb" Ljungdahl
Rauli "Darn" Savela
Erik "appe" Karlsson
Björn "bybben" Andersson
Jukka "Rebeli" Kauppinen
Despite recording their first ever nul points from an ETF2L official last night versus scene starlets I Don't Know?, Dignitas are still the undisputed team to beat at LAN. Their performance at Winter Assembly in January was nothing short of sensational. Although they're going through an online malaise - as they'd be the first to admit - I fully expect them to get their heads straight this weekend and reach somewhere close to replicating their Winter Assembly form.
Dignitas will no doubt breathe a sigh of relief that the next best teams in Europe, neither I Don't Know? nor TCM-Gaming, are attending. The question of the tournament is this: will FakkelBrigade or Power Gaming manage to push them out of their comfort zone? If they let Dignitas play the way they want to play, the trophy has their name all over it.
I asked team captain Rauli "Darn" Savela about what he expected from his team:
Sure, we've had our ups and downs this month, but when it comes to offline events we have always performed our best. I don't want to guess where we'll finish, but we are definitely aiming to take the i-Series title for ourselves.
Player to watch: Offline events always seem to bring out the best in Björn "bybben" Andersson. Assuming his team are firing on all cylinders in support of him, he has a devestating array of skills to dominate here as one of the world's best scouts and win the tournament MVP.
Predicted finish: 1st place
Power Gaming
Olli "paavi" Kettunen
Kalle "hymzi" Honkala
Jani "hocz" Laakkonen
Olli "olliii" Hiltunen
Henry "fluffy" Rantanen
Tuamos "vallone" Vespäläinen
Back in January these guys achieved a surprise second place result at Winter Assembly as Illegal. But since then, and despite joining Power Gaming, things haven't gone so well. After a string of mediocre online results, Power will be looking to make a statement here by challenging Dignitas for first place. Player for player, their roster is one of the scariest around, but they haven't quite found the discipline to translate all that potential into consistency yet.
They won't get many chances to correct mistakes, so it's super important that they play efficiently and carefully in the big games. That said, they can't go too far away from the hyper-aggressive playstyle that makes them so exciting to watch. They need to find the right balance if they want to upset Dignitas.
I asked Kalle "hymzi" Honkala for his thoughts going into the weekend:
There's not much to say. We're planning on winning the whole thing, of course. There has been some lack of motivation within the team for the past few months, so we haven't been performing well as we should, but it's all coming back again.
Player to watch: Demoman Kalle "hymzi" Honkala best reflects Power's aggressive play that all TF2 fans will be familiar with. His talent is a real game changer, and, it's not an exaggeration to say a potential tournament winner, too. But his temperament could also cost Power crucial rounds. Can he stay focussed enough to make the right decisions in tight games?
Predicted finish: 2nd place
FakkelBrigade
James "Admirable" McDonnell
Sam "Looper" Core
Mark "Exfane" de Ruiter
Truls "Dr Leon" Corneliussen Rasmussen
Arie "Arie" Meeldijk
Joseph "Fisshu" Carter
Following a missing-in-action February, FakkelBrigade's recent form has been excellent and they should be confident of a strong podium finish. Their teamwork has improved leaps and bounds over the past six months, and FB are just a huge win or two away from being considered an elite team. i39 should be a great opportunity for them to stretch their legs, have a good time and make people sit up and take notice of them.
They don't have anything to lose, really, so if they play free and loose - and don't respect Dignitas and Power too much - those big wins could be found this weekend. If they acclimatise to the pressures of LAN, there's no doubt they have an outside shot at doing what they're so good at doing: winning games they're not supposed to. We'll see this weekend if they have it in them to win tournaments that they're not supposed to.
I spoke to Joseph "Fisshu" Carter about FakkelBrigade's prospects:
When comparing our chances to the other top 3 teams attending the tournament, I would say that we can finish in the top 2 if we put our minds to it. Ideally we would love to finish first, but when comparing Dignitas's LAN score sheet to the other attending teams, there really is no denying that they wear the LAN trousers of the scene.
Playing away from the comforts of our homes and in front of live audiences for the first time is going to be an interesting experience and definitely not an excuse. FakkelBrigade will be attending i39 to have a laugh, gain some experience of LAN events and walk away having hopefully caused some upsets.
Player to watch: Cadred's finest James "Admirable" McDonnell has big boots to fill as he subs for FB's usual medic, Mirelin, who is unable to make it from Latvia to the UK.
Admirable certainly has the ability required to be a decent replacement, but I can't help but worry that so much depends on him getting the hang of FB's demanding healing sets in time for the playoff stages. It could be the difference between 2nd, 3rd, or - if things go wrong - even 4th.
Predicted finish: 3rd place
what women want
Duncan "dunc" Wraight
Karl "weqo" Terava
Alex "ajones" Jones
Paul "Evil" Doyle
Murrough "predz" O'Brien
Miku "perry" Airaksinen
While Karl "weqo" Terava and Miku "tumpel" Airaksinen are serviceable replacements, what women want will clearly miss their starting demoman Arto "bash" Alanko (who had one the best individual performances at Winter Assembly) and regular scout Robin "wltrs" Brinkestll, who are both unable to attend.
With top division 1 pedigree, they're still a super talented bunch, but it's hard to see them winning games against the top dogs. Things aren't made any easier by their distinct lack of preparation going into the event as Duncan "dunc" Wraight has taken an unceremonious break from the team. If they can make friends again, enjoy themselves and play together, they have the experience and ability to steal a podium place even as a mix team.
Substitute demoman Karl "weqo" Terava is cautious about their chances:
I haven't really even thought about it. The goal of this mix was never to build a top 3 capable team. We haven't played together and the weakest link is probably me who hasn't played demoman for almost a year now.
That being said, the chances aren't really zero either. We've all got LAN experience and (almost) all the players have had top 3 results a dozen times in the past. If we were to get on the podium, however, I think it would be due to the favorites underperforming.
Player to watch: Paul "Evil" Doyle has been the one bright spot for this team. His in-game smarts make him one of the most potent soldiers around, in both the roaming and pocket role. The key for what women want, if they are to have any chance at sneaking onto the podium, will be him getting the support he needs when he goes up against the other star soldiers like Mark "Exfane" de Ruiter of FB, Power Gaming's Jani "hocz" Laakkonen and Erik "appe" Karlsson from Dignitas.
Predicted finish: 4th place
Make sure you keep your eyes locked on the i39 TF2 channel this weekend as Cadred brings you the best live coverage, interviews and analysis!
Originally published on Cadred.org on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:59:06 +0100 by JimmyBreeze.
Archived from i39: TF2 Preview as part of tf2esports.com's preservation of Cadred.org's TF2 coverage. All rights remain with the original author and Cadred.org; reposted for historical reference.